The University of the Pacific women’s track and field program is starting the 2025 season with two new school records, signifying a promising beginning to their spring campaign.

“Any time you break a school record in the first two meets of the season, it’s a good sign of things to come,” Pacific Head Coach Josh Jones said. “We’re going to keep working in our preparation and go from there.”

California natives Talia Johnson ’25 and Serena Yee ’26 etched their names in the Pacific record book for their recent accomplishments. Johnson tied the school record in the 60-meter dash at the Nevada Invitational with a time of 8.24 records, while Yee, a local from Lodi, tied a school record in the high jump at the Sunshine Open with a distance of 1.50 meters.

“It means the world to me,” Johnson said. “I honestly thought I wouldn’t have a chance to run again following the pandemic. The fact that my milestone is going in the record books means more to me than I can express.”

“It’s very rewarding to put so much time and so much work into what you do and get the results,” Yee said. “It’s really exciting to see that you’re improving, especially at the beginning of the season.”

The Tigers have also continued to set personal records individually, marking steady progress ahead of the outdoor portion of the season.

As a veteran runner on the team, Johnson looks to be a mentor during the final season, hoping to leave her mark at Pacific.

“I really want to foster a great program going forward,” Johnson said. “I’m excited to see where these girls go, knowing I was in their shoes during my undergrad. I want to leave our program strong.”

For Yee, she hopes the team can continue to make even more strides in the next few months.

“With the rest of the season, I want to keep carrying that momentum,” Yee said. “The girls have worked so hard. I’m proud of our group competing to their best and getting stronger.”

Johnson and Yee give a token of gratitude to the support systems in place, giving them an avenue to have success.

“I’m grateful for Coach Jones’ flexibility and giving me the opportunity to be a leader,” Johnson said. “The academics with my physical therapy program and the competition with track has truly given me a great student-athlete experience here at Pacific.”

“I owe a lot to the strength coaches and the athletic trainers who work really closely with us,” Yee said. “I want them to be recognized because they’ve helped me behind the scenes which has translated to my success.”

Pacific will participate in nine more meets through May with the next opportunity to set a school record at the Cal All Comers meet Saturday, Feb. 22. See the full track and field schedule.